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November 6, 2010

My Roadtrip: An Aussie in America Days 12, 13 and 14

Monday 4th November 1996

Dallas

We had a very busy and interesting day today, visiting Texas Stadium, the home of NFL's Dallas Cowboys. This place was huge...we toured the locker rooms and had photos taken right in the middle of the playing field.

The other amazing thing we did was to visit The Texas School Book Depository which encompasses The Sixth Floor Museum. The self guided tour gives you information and understanding about the events of November 22 1963.

The building is notable for its connection to the assassination of President John F Kennedy. We participated in a conspiracy tour and discussion and to this day, I believe there was a conspiracy - that Lee Harvey Oswald did not fire the bullet that killed President Kennedy, that there was another gunman and that there definately was some sort of cover up.

It was quite surreal to actually be there, where it all happened so many years ago. I felt very sad.....also.

We walked back to the hotel, through Dallas in the late afternoon, looking up at the skyscrapers, which was really wonderful.

At night we caught a tram called "Matilda" (from Australia) to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. I love Dallas, it was and still is one of my favourite places....

Tuesday 5th November 1996

Dallas to Tunica, Mississippi

Travelled on towards Tunica today, stopping at a border town called Texarkana - the city sits on the state line between Texas and Arkansas. I found this fact quite amusing!

We toured through the State Capital Building in Little Rock, Arkansas, arriving in Memphis Tennessee at 5.05pm. Yes, four states in one day...again!! Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi!!!

After a quick drive around the amazing city of Memphis, we drove out to Tunica Casino where we were staying.

After a quick shower, we were back in the bus, heading towards BB Kings Blues Club in Memphis. Enjoyed dinner and an evening of blues music.

Wednesday 6th November 1996

Memphis Tennessee

Another of my favourite cities, Memphis was very satisfying. We spent the morning at Graceland. A very humbling experience to see the home of THE KING Elvis Presley.

And standing in front of his grave, and that of his mothers', I shed a tear. A most beautiful, serene moment that I will cherish forever.

In the afternoon, we visited the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, which was fascinating. The Lorraine Motel was where Dr Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated in 1968, another fact that I find very sad.

We walked around Beale Street for the rest of the day, looking at shops and buying postcards. We visited the Peabody Motel, which is famous for its Peabody Ducks.

These ducks march to and from the fountain in the lobby, twice a day. At night they live in their royal duck palace on the hotel rooftop!

We went back to Tunica for the evening. Tunica is in the state of Mississippi, and we were staying there, rather than in Memphis. Tunica is full of casinos, and we had the pleasure of visiting some including the Hollywood Casino and Harrahs Casino.